Scored JJ-KT 77 Tubes. I ordered when Russia invaded Ukraine knowing there would be a supply issue and panic purchases. I am hoping American companies will step up to production and not jack prices.
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When small scale tactical nukes are deployed, you can use this resource and then ask around what the half life is and when the tubes can be safe to handle. Before anyone complains, (c'mon now) you know you will. 😄 All the best, |
OK My sister, who still lives in NY reported to me that people were protesting outside of the Russian Tea Room in NYC. For those unfamiliar, that’s a landmark restaurant in NYC which has been around forever. Since nobody is eating there of late, that should stop Putin. On the other hand some horrible racist pushing an elderly Chinese woman in front of a moving subway train hasn’t slowed down Xi Jinping a bit, Posting here on Audiogon has yet to do the trick either, but at least is as civilized as protesting the Tea Room, It gives we audiophiles a chance to vent a little as we’re as outraged as everyone else, and in most ways powerless to do much about it. Exception noted for our wonderful member helping Ukranian refugees on site in Poland. Mike |
Prof, I don’t mean to come off as overblown or think that buying Russian tubes makes anyone a horrible person, I do think this is one behavior that deserves a second thought though. It’s a much smaller deal for example than us stopping buying Russian oil . I’m not trying to make myself feel or look better either, or to make anyone here feel worse, and am sorry if I came off that way to you. Both you and Mulveling have respectively provided me with excellent advice here on amplifiers and tonearms which is greatly appreciated for example, And it speaks well of you to offer assistance and be helpful to myself and the rest of us here.. But nobody is perfect, especially me, Audiogon happens to be one few necks of the woods I frequent, I respect and like most everyone who participates in this forum, except maybe some trolls of course. I can’t imagine anyone here even remotely supports what Putin is doing in the Ukraine. I do feel that every little thing counts and we should consider that. Buying Russian tubes is a little thing of course. It rubbed me the wrong way though, so I responded to it here. I don’t feel anyone here has the worst possible character and am sorry I came across that way. What I hope to say is that is that everything you and I do is important more than we might think and we should carefully consider any behavior that might support what’s going on now in the Ukraine. I construed buying Russian tubes in that way and should have more carefully considered my response here to avoid appearing overblown, self-righteous or a windbag. Mike
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@prof + 1 |
Here is some text from the page…
“ ….Western Electric is assessing plans to expand tube operations. Our latest factory is equipped to handle production of multiple tube types and, in light of recent worldwide events, we believe our capacity to do so may become vital to the industry. ….” |
Whether the Russian tube panic is legit or not… I found this to be very interesting and posted a discussion topic in misc audio.
It’s basically a survey for the market demand for non 300b tubes…it implies that Western electric may consider manufacturing more tube types if demand there.
I would love more options…especially domestic ones. |
Exactly, that’s the strawman that keeps getting thrown around. I’m also wondering if we have enough pasta for our dinner tonight or if I can book a haircut today. "Wait, a maniac is murdering humans and your biggest issue is "can I find pasta or book a haircut???!!! You monster!" No, of course I don’t think "that’s the biggest issue in the world!" That’s absurd - but we all have to still live life and all have our ongoing personal concerns which doesn’t for a second mean we think they are as important as the people being killed in Ukraine. It’s just such an absurd strawman.
You could put the concerns of literally EVERYTHING anyone is talking about on this forum right now in the same strawman context. "People are dying in Ukraine and all you care about is discussing speakers?" And since every day of every year there are large numbers of people suffering terribly, you could say we are all without conscience to even be discussing First World Privileges like high end audio gear. As if we don’t have any sense of proportion, as if we actually think "not getting the tubes for my amp" is somehow on par with the destruction of free human life. As if nobody here has a sense of proportion and can understand how fortunate we may be with respect to how others may be suffering. This type of virtue-signalling scolding really is the most uncharitable approach where you just assume the worst character possible on someone else, don’t even bother thinking the other person has a sense of proportion, mostly to make yourself feel or look better. It’s so lazy. That’s why it p*sses me off so much. |
@richopp I'm also concerned about getting Russian Vodka for my well-stocked, billion-dollar bar. There is counseling for virtual signalers...go see your doctor for a referral
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have you any idea what tooling up from scratch would cost ? |
@prof Virtue Signaling is an addiction disease that is hard to cure. In the current "look at me" society, it makes people feel important to the groups of people they admire. The bigger question is if one is "really as concerned as they want everyone to think they are", why are they thumbing thru audiophile message boards, to begin with? |
I believe this was the plan all along. Africa, South America, Central America, and all of Asia will agree to trade in non-US currencies. Europe and Canada will fall in line after that happens. America will be isolated. I’ve been living in SE Asia for 26 years and no way Asia will swap the dollar for yuan , the euro is popular in Asia and excepted but not the yuan. |
Someone in America could start making tubes, of course they could. However there are already a few established manufacturers supplying a relatively small market. There is even some diversity - for example, Tung-Sol is generally premium, and EH is at the lower end. Most reasonably popular tube types are supported. Also JJ and a few outfits in China. I’m missing a couple niche (premium?) players in Europe somewhere.. These are just some of the facts that that person in America would need to share with the people financing the project . If NASA or the military could use them they’d get billions from Congress.. In the meantime it would probably be easier to obtain finance to commission and build a new coal fired power station anywhere in the West. PS - anyway, a factoid that people may have missed amongst all the virtue signalling handwaving (although it was made pretty obvious to Blind Freddie in the link in the opening comment) is that the tubes made in Russia are done so by a company domiciled in America, New Sensor. Company profits (or losses) accrue to America. Or maybe Ireland, but that’s another story. |
@prof x1000 - thanks man. |
A member over at the TheGearPage site believes to have the answer. LOL 🤣
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And:
Why do people keep posting these facile virtue signaling posts? As if YOU are the only one who "really cares" about what is going on in the war? We can walk and chew gum at the same time. Because we are posting here about the tube situation DOES NOT MEAN that we don't care about what is happening in the world or about the plight of Ukraine. The fact we are talking about AUDIO GEAR in an AUDIO GEAR FORUM, and TUBES in in the AMPLIFIER forum, is because THAT's what we discuss here. This is NOT WHERE I COME TO TALK ABOUT THE WAR. I, and I'm sure others here, do enough of that elsewhere. It's all over the news, it's most of what we talk about among friends, it's what we are horrified over, worry about. I have dear friends with parents, brothers and sisters in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus who are beside themselves with worry. Not only that, it's gone beyond the Ukraine and we are ALL being held hostage by a madman waving nuclear weapons at the West! I'm worried about the people of Ukraine, and inspired by their bravery. I'm also looking at my own kids hoping THEY have a future too. Please, take your bloody sanctimony elsewhere. You don't really know a damned thing about what people think, or who they know, or what they are going through just because they posted here about tube amps. What are you doing spending time on a audio forum when Ukrainian are dying? What a first world thing to do. Have you no conscience? |
Back to tubes. I think tube supplies will be fine. If China can build a skyscraper in 20 days, they can add tube production capacity. Much of this is overblown much like the "lacquer" fire "scare" a couple of years back. I can't blame some outlets for pausing tube sales so they can service customers who have purchased products from them. I know PS Audio stopped offering replacement tubes on their website so they can have enough to keep producing their components. However, if you give them your PS Audio serial number, they will sell you a set of tubes. |
Facten, good points. about the limited number of Russian imports we are being asked to not buy by our politicians. .People in all walks of life seem to be stepping up to the plate on their own to stop buying Russian imports, more than asked by our leaders, which is lovely to see We all can’t be be bankers or owners of big businesses which have real clout. But in the small ways we can personally contribute, many are willing and able to do what they can. The politicians could catch up a bit in what they are asking of us.. At least politicians are doing things like you mentioned, which is also good to see. And most of us are pulling in the same direction for once. Whitefishpoint1175, my hats off to you for your going over to Poland to help Ukranian refugees. Thank you for your service. It would be interesting to hear about what you witnessed and heard there. Mike |
Google and you’ll find out, but here is a link with major items; yes not much in pure consumer goods ala China What does the US import and export from Russia? - AS.com Again, Audiogon is not the place that is going to resolve the indignation voiced above relative to either country, but whatever. Enough said on my end |
@facten - what else does Russia export besides oil and gas? Vacuum tubes and nested dolls? Maybe I've just missed 'em, but I've never seen much in the way of 'Made in Russia' items over the years when I've bought any kind of items.... As for Russian vacuum tubes, I've got a lot of tube gear, but I can happily live without 'em. |
"We’re not even being asked to go over and fight, only to give up buying Russian products to help stop Putin" Biden has stopped oil & gas imports and nothing else. Congress/Senate are voting on removing Russia’s non-favored nation trading status which means that tariffs will be increased, not that products won’t be imported. So unless either Putin decides not to export anything to the US, or Biden/Congress goes beyond eliminating non-favored status and suspends all imports no one is being asked to not buy from them. And, if you don’t want anything from China talk to your Congressman & Senator and get them to write legislation to prevent US investment in China as well as non-importation of anything from them. Good luck with that, but that is where your indignation needs to be directed to attempt to get action not on Audiogon
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Mulveling, let me ask you this. Where to you draw the line for what you won’t have any part of in any way?. I don’t feel it’s "getting on a high horse" to draw the line at helping finance a Russian economy that’s supporting Putin engaging in the wholesale murder of innocents in the Ukraine, or one that’s putting innocent millions in slave labor concentration camps. That’s an awful low standard for anyone to maintain, not one that involves "being on a high horse". We all need to do our part whether it inconveniences us or not, in my opinion anyway.. We can’t solve all the world’s ills, but sometimes it too hard to look the other way, and for me anyway this is one of those times. For my Dad it was Pearl Harbor. For me it’s what’s what Putin and China are doing to people. We’re not even being asked to go over and fight, only to give up buying Russian products to help stop Putin. That shouldn’t be too much too ask, even if it interferes with our listening pleasure. Mike
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I find myself in agreement with all of Skyscraper’s posts in this thread. For my part, Viva Hifi does not and will not sell products made in China. This includes products made for companies owned in America or Europe. There are too many other options available. As an individual consumer, I avoid buying Chinese products whenever possible. If Russia made anything I want, I would look for alternatives.
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Thank goodness the tubes in my LS26 are new with low hours on them and I have the old ones still with 4000 hours on them.. Recently I purchased a Schiit Freya for my second system and thankfully it has a solid state mode. If price gouging for tubes becomes the new norm, then tube gear will go out of style as fast as BetaMax vcr's did. I'm hopeful the void will be filled in time. |
I’m sure everything you guys have ever enjoyed would pass great scrutiny for never harming anyone anywhere along their supply chains 🙄 |
I thought this headline and story was a scream and shows what regular folk are doing to pitch in on their own: Russian oligarchs superyacht stuck in Norway because no-one there will sell it fuel. "NRK spoke with several supplies of fuel in Norway, none of whom said they wanted to deliver to the Ragnar." "They can row home," an oil service said. |
Facten, you are exactly correct. It’s difficult to do, but way less difficult than what the people and families of those being victimized are enduring. Since very few people are even aware of, much less standing up for them, they are screwed. For that and some other reasons, I try and do what l little I can, which is not much. If more of us good people joined in, like we seem to be doing in some ways for the people in Ukraine, maybe it would help curb despots from being able to continue to commit the worst atrocities. As the world’s biggest market, as a country we have some real say so if we wield that power for the good. That’s even if we’re unwilling to fight for the victims, like my Dad did as a seventeen year old U.S. soldier in WW2. My father told me, and it made a big impression, there were concentration camps all over Germany. He said you could tell you were coming up on one from miles away due to the stench. Sadly things like that are apparently still going on in with nobody lifting a finger to stop them, I’m not a religious person, but when it comes to the worst and most horrific excesses, like the current situation in Ukraine, we should be our brothers keeper and stop sick despots from doing what they are doing.to people just like you and I. Mike
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"That and other atrocities are nothing I want to support with dollars I use to buy things here at home" Good luck with that because without a doubt you and the rest of us are as China exported $453B of products to the US in 2020. Go to tradingeconomics.com/china/exports/united-states and you'll see every category from food, clothing, furniture, electronics, etc etc etc - 97 line items listed |
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@larsman I have watched that video. Thanks. |
@kingbarbuda - Kevin from Upscale put up a video yesterday concerning this that you might want to check out if you haven't done so yet.... |
